Happy Presidents Day!

When I was a kid, we celebrated George Washington’s birthday as a holiday. We also celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s birthday earlier in the month. Of course, now we celebrate “Presidents Day”. Even though we no longer set aside these two great Americans birthdays, it is important to point out that both of these men, held office in landmark, trying times when the people of this nation were split.

George Washington, of course served as General of the Continental Army in The Revolutionary War, or as it is also sometimes called “The War for American Independence”, before becoming President. Prior to, and during the war against Britain, Americans were split. Some wanted independence from the tyranny of King George. Others, however, remained loyal to England, providing comfort and aid to British soldiers and didn’t have any desire to exist as a nation free and clear of the King’s rule. Of course we all know who won out in the end, those Americans who wanted freedom.

Abraham Lincoln served as President at a time our country was so badly split, that it threatened to dissolve the Union. The North was against slavery, and wanted to dominate industry, and keep the South agrarian. The South, was for state’s rights, and, for the most part for slavery, (although not all Southerners were for slavery),but also didn’t just want to remain agrarian in commerce but become industrialized to. The reasons for the split are far too numerous to outline in this post, suffice to say, those who think that the Civil War was fought over just slavery, are mislead. It was a much more complicated problem than just that.

Today, our current President, George W. Bush is serving in another landmark time in our nation’s history. We were threatened on our own soil on 9/11 by an army of murderous, hate-filled Islamic terrorists who pose a new danger to our security as a nation, an asymmetric one. If we don’t maintain a high level of alertness, al Qaeda will bring even more violence to our home streets. Homicide bombers could begin making a trip to the store or the mall a dangerous proposition.

Today, our nation is split once again. Some, those from the liberal left, are more concerned with theoretically having their overseas phone calls to areas in the world that inhabit terrorists, or phone calls to terrorists directly, tapped by the government, than they are from making any attempt by these terrorists to strike us again here on our soil impotent, useless. They are also the peace crowd. An anti-war, conscientious objector bunch who think nothing is worth committing the evil act of combat to deter any threat to their security in freedom whatsoever. To them war is evil. Things can always be settled by other means. If nations will just pull together, and the U.S. will submit it’s future to the UN, and world opinion, then the UN will provide the world a peaceable solution to the al Qaeda threat. This is the Neville Chamberlain crowd who, if given full reigns will only have any change of heart when it is too late and too much of the nation has been lost. They only wait for the crocodile to eat them last, as Winston Churchill was fond of putting it. They never learn from history’s lessons when it comes to confronting evil men and evil empires.

The other side of the split are those who believe that we should do everything in our power to crush the threat that Islamic terrorists pose to this nation and freedom everywhere, by taking and keeping the fight on the terrorists’ grounds, and ensuring we don’t let them use our freedom and liberty against us through careful, controlled, and necessary means as the Patriot Act. The people on this side are not war mongers, people who falsely glorify war, but who know that unfortunately war is often inevitable. Especially when the threat to our freedom and the security of our way of life comes in the form of ravenous, hot heads guided by hatred and rage, and will not listen to reason, nor diplomacy. When an angry bear is charging you, you can either shoot it and end its life, or be prepared to be mauled to pieces.

While the first bunch may prefer being mauled to pieces in order to stay faithful to their ideological notion of peace at all costs, I stand with the second group of Americans, who know that peace always comes with a price, and that too many of our ancestors have paid the price to give us our freedom and have paid the ultimate price to guard it every time it was threatened.

God bless our men and women of the Armed Forces who are risking it all, far away from family and friends to stand up to the terrorist threat to America, and the rest of the free world. God bless our President who has had the courage to take a tough, non-compromising stance against al Qaeda, and has assured we keep thwarting their twisted, satanic goal for not only America but the rest of the free world.

Our country may be unfortunately split at this important time in our history, but, thank God we have another man in office capable of confronting the threat, and who will do whatever it takes to ensure that we all arise from this a stronger nation who continues to protect, not only ourselves, but other free nations around the world. As a super power that is our duty.

Once again, we have the right man in office. Thank God. We almost didn’t. Twice.